Jewish History Museum (Tucson) facts for kids
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Location | 564 South Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701-2308 |
| Type | Jewish Museum |
The Jewish History Museum is a special place in Tucson, Arizona. It used to be called the Jewish Heritage Center of the Southwest. This museum is inside a very old synagogue building.
This building is super important! It was the first synagogue ever built in the Arizona Territory. That makes it the oldest synagogue building in the whole state of Arizona.
Contents
The Stone Avenue Temple Building
This historic building was first known as Temple Emanu-El. It was built way back in 1910. A group of brave Jewish women, called the Hebrew Benevolent Society, worked hard to get a permanent place for Jewish worship in Arizona.
The building is made of brick and was designed by an architect named Ely Blount. He mixed different styles to make it unique. It had a Greek revival look with columns and rounded windows. It also featured twin towers.
Later, in 1937, the front of the building was covered with stucco. Sadly, the beautiful original stained-glass windows are no longer there.
A Historic Landmark
The Stone Avenue Temple is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's officially recognized as a valuable historical site.
People worked hard to save this old synagogue. Their efforts even won a special award! It received the National Preservation Honor Award. This award came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
About the Museum
The Jewish History Museum officially opened in 2005. It was created when two groups joined together. One group was formed in 1998 to save the building from being torn down. The other was the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Arizona.
What You Can See and Do
The museum has a permanent collection of items that tell Jewish stories. But it's not just about old things! The museum also hosts many exciting events.
You can see special exhibitions and listen to interesting lectures. They have an annual exhibit of wedding dresses and marriage contracts called Ketubahs. The museum also hosts a fun Jewish Storytelling Festival. It is also home to the Jewish Arizona Oral History Project, which records stories from people's lives.
